According to Julio Gonzalez, president of forum, Parlacen could promote laws that are valid regionally while previously it was limited to recommending changes in the laws of member countries.

"The expectations are very good because we are becoming the link in the integration, the objective is that in time we become one country, the Central American country," said Gonzalez to AFP.

Parlacen is made up of Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, the Dominican Republic and Mexico. Belize int he process of joining the multilateral legislative organization.

Source: mipunto.com

More on this topic

How to Strengthen the Regional Integration Process

March 2011

Transporting a truckload from Guatemala to Costa Rica takes four days, when the journey could be completed in 30 hours.

The Business Committee for Customs Union launched a campaign to accelerate and complete the integration, attacking in particular mental and cultural barriers which persist in economic actors and in the general population.

C.A. Entrepreneurs Urge to Accelerate Integration

December 2010

Seasoned in negotiations with Europe, Central American employers are demanding to political sectors to accelerate the process for the economic integration of the isthmus.

50 years after the signing of the General Treaty of Central American Integration, over 40 million people living in the region still do not enjoy the economic benefits and development opportunities that could effectively be consolidated if Central America would act as a single economic unit, much like the European Union.

Integration Held Back by Large Obstacles

November 2009

In spite of globalization driving various forms of private economic integration, there still remain custom and tariff barriers.

International commerce experts agree that in order to fully take advantage of the benefits of free trade agreements with extra-regional blocks, Central America must complete the economic integration process started on October 14, 1951.

EU accepts that Costa Rica will not join Parlacen

January 2009

The European Union gave in on its desire that regarding interparlamentary dialogue, Central American representation would be exclusively be by Parlacen.

In this dialogue, Costa Rica will be represented by a member of its Legislative Assembly while other Central America countries will be represented via the regional organism.